Jay Nixon to create commission to examine Ferguson

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday announced the creation of a commission to examine the events in Ferguson and make recommendation for how to move forward.

Nixon, who made the announcement in St. Louis County, will create the panel through executive order. Members will be announced in early November.

“Throughout the history of our nation, we have struggled to treat all our citizens as equals,” Nixon said via a statement. “Too often we have fallen short of the guiding principles on which our great democracy was founded. For too many, the promise of unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, rings hollow.

“Some people would tell you that the choice is one thing or the other: Trust or force. Speech or silence. Black or white. It is far more complicated than that. Legitimate issues are being expressed by thoughtful voices that must be heard. People yelling past one another will not move us to where we need to go.... We need to solve these problems ourselves, we need to solve them together, and we need to act now.”